Surviving the Game As a Barbarian [EN]: Chapter 28

In [Dungeon & Stone], ‘internal strife’ is a common occurrence. And the cause of ‘internal strife’ is always, without exception, ‘money.’ For a financially comfortable mage, research might be the top priority, but for explorers entering a labyrinth, it’s all about making money. But this mage bitch just hit a nerve. “You’re going to take all the guardian’s loot?” The dwarf was no longer smiling kindly. His voice was low, and his eyes, visible through his thick fur, gleamed fiercely. “Do I look like an idiot to you?” The air instantly turned cold. And perhaps sensing this, *Clink.* The human man placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He’s not just a simple carrier, after all. Breaking the heavy silence, Raven spoke. “…Instead, I’ll give you all the magic stones that come from the rift.” “So you’re saying we should just pick up the scraps.” “…I thought it was a reasonable calculation? It’s not like they’re guaranteed to appear.” Though she tried to hide it, Raven’s face clearly showed signs of embarrassment. It seems she didn’t expect such a hostile reaction… I thought she was naive. Shouldn’t she have expected this? The guardian’s loot is the flower of the rift. Among them, the ‘Numbers Item’ would be an invaluable treasure for the dwarf. “I cannot give up the Numbers Item.” “…Okay. Instead, I’ll take the guardian’s essence. And please acknowledge my ownership of any other discoveries made using my knowledge.” “Fine. Then we’ll roll dice to see who gets the rift stones.” Unbelievable. Fair my ass. The two of them started fighting over their own interests, completely ignoring me and Aynar. Watching them gave me a headache. I even started to think it would have been better to clear the rift with the newbies on the first floor, even if it meant shedding blood. At this rate, we’ll end up barely picking up scraps from the rift we worked so hard to enter. It’s so frustrating to be powerless. “Bjorn.” “I know what you’re thinking, but stay still for now.” “Understood.” The things I need to do become clearer. I need to get stronger. Whether those bastards kick away the ladder or not, I need to climb up on my own. Only then can I protect my rights like them. Of course, that doesn’t mean I should give in today. “Wait a minute.” “……?” When I spoke, the eyes of the two, who were having a conversation in a much softer tone, turned to me. “You can handle the essence and the Numbers Item. But we’ll take the rift stones.” “You’re being greedy.” “Do you think there will be a problem without two barbarians?” Their eyes are very sharp. Damn, everyone was smiling kindly when we first met. Well, I was just testing the waters anyway. “Okay, we’ll give up the rift stones. Instead, give us priority for up to two essences, excluding the guardian’s.” “Okay. That much is fine.” “I agree as well.” As expected, Raven and the dwarf easily agreed to my demands. That was probably the limit. At their level, there wouldn’t be any essences as attractive as the guardian’s. “Then shall we go now?” “Good, I’ve been standing still and my body is already aching! Hahahaha!” Once the negotiation was over, the mage and the dwarf were laughing and joking as if nothing had happened, showing their friendly faces again. Scary explorers. *** How long had we been climbing the mountain path, following the fortress visible between the mountain ridges? Upon reaching the entrance of the fortress, we were faced with two winged demon sculptures. “Gargoyle statues.” Grade 8 monster, Gargoyle Statue. They usually stay still, but when an enemy enters their field of vision, they activate and use ‘Petrification,’ making them tricky monsters. The usual strategy is for one person to sacrifice themselves to take all the ‘Petrification’ hits, while the rest defeat the gargoyle statues to break the curse, but… Surprisingly, we have a mage with us now. “Kyahhhhh!” As I and the dwarf approached, the gargoyles opened their eyes and spread their wings. At the same time, my lower body instantly turned to stone, but the duration wasn’t long. “Artena Viar.” Raven chanted a ‘Curse Removal’ spell, and the battle began in earnest. Aynar and I took on one, and the dwarf took on the other. *Clang!* The short dwarf swung his hammer like a madman, smashing the gargoyle’s legs. And when the gargoyle fell to the ground, he smashed its head with his hammer as if he had been waiting for it. Is that the dwarf’s way? It’s quite manly to start from the bottom and work your way up. Well, it was the same for us. “You guys are pretty good too!” The time it took to smash the gargoyle statues wasn’t much different. We’re also confident in close combat. [You have defeated a Gargoyle. EXP +2] The two gargoyles disappeared into light, dropping magic stones, but there was no need to pick them up directly. They floated up on their own and went straight into a large bag. “I’ll collect the magic stones and distribute them to you from time to time.” “If you do that, I’d be grateful! Hahahaha!” The dwarf didn’t seem worried that the mage would steal the magic stones. Well, a mage wouldn’t be greedy for such small change. “Then let’s go quickly!” The dwarf smashed the old wooden door with his hammer, clearing the way. Is the real dungeon starting now? I felt a strange emotion as I followed them inside. “We’ll need light.” “Riate.” A sphere of light floated above Raven’s hand, brightly illuminating the dark interior. The space I’ve entered is the outer checkpoint. It’s where they would have performed various administrative tasks, such as checking the cargo of carriages or the identities of passersby before letting them into the castle. “Ggrrr…” As if drawn by the light and sound, rotten corpses rose from the wardrobes on the walls or under the tables and approached. “They’re Deadmen.” Deadmen. They are unranked monsters that don’t drop experience or even magic stones. They don’t even disappear after they die. Except when they drop essence. “Their attacks are just biting and scratching, so I’ll save my mana.” There was no magical assistance, but it didn’t take long to clear the entire room. “While I open the door, would Mr. Murad and Mr. Yandel please go up and check the upper floor?” “I’ll be right back! Hahahaha!” Following the dwarf up to the second floor, a space like a common bedroom appeared. There were about ten Deadmen there as well, but the space was larger than on the first floor, making it easier to clear. *Thud! Thud!* We quickly cleared the second floor and climbed the ladder to the rooftop without much conversation. There were about a dozen soldier Deadmen wearing rusty armor and a slightly larger commander Deadman. It’s not quite a first boss… It’s a guy we have to catch to move forward. “He’s just big, but he doesn’t seem any different from the other Deadmen, so let’s take him down quickly! Hahahaha!” This time, we quickly cleared the area, and we found a horn in the commander Deadman’s clothes. When we came back down to the first floor, the iron door on the opposite side was already open. “It’s so reassuring to have a mage.” With light coming from both directions, the interior, which had no windows, became quite bright, but it didn’t matter. We’ve finished everything we needed to do at the outer checkpoint. Now it’s time to cross the 50-meter-long bridge. “Please be careful of your footing, Lady Raven.” “Ah, thank you.” The bridge, which was broken in the middle, was cut off about 20 meters from the gate. It wasn’t broken by time. It was designed that way from the start. *Booooooo!* When we blew the horn we had obtained in advance, the drawbridge began to lower with a rattling sound. Of course, not only that… [The long-dormant water magic circle is activated.] “Bjorn! Water is rising from below!” The moat. The ditch dug around the castle walls to prevent foreign invasion was also starting to fill with water. Dark, murky, and blood-red water. That’s why this place is called the ‘Crimson Fortress.’ The sky is red, and the ground is red. But what heightens the apocalyptic atmosphere is something else. “Bjorn! Hand! There’s a hand flailing above the water!” “They’re Deadmen, so don’t be nervous.” “Hmph, who said I was nervous?” When the blood water reached the bottom of the bridge, the Deadmen, who had been flailing on the surface, climbed up. The drawbridge was not even one-fifth of the way down. The concept of this part is simple. —Hold out until the drawbridge is lowered. If it were a game, that message would have appeared. “Ggrrr…” Without any specific instructions, everyone started to respond by pushing away the Deadmen or striking them with their weapons. *Thud! Thud! Crack!* They are unranked monsters, but the Deadmen were quite tricky opponents on this bridge. If you fell below, it would be game over. “It’s done.” After about a minute, Raven completed the mana formula. “Witerena Dertu!” If the spell name were translated directly, it would be something like ‘Blade Storm.’ A fierce gust of wind spread out from the center of our tight formation, and then, like a blender, it instantly shredded the Deadmen. *Thududududu.* The dwarf exclaimed in admiration as he looked at the bridge, which was instantly stained with the corpses of the Deadmen. “…Amazing.” “They’re just Deadmen.” Contrary to her modest words, Raven’s eyes were full of pride. But it didn’t feel arrogant. Without a mage with an area-of-effect skill, this part wouldn’t be so easy to pass. After that, we just crushed the Deadmen that occasionally climbed onto the bridge, and the drawbridge, which had been slowly lowering, finally met the bridge. *Kooong!* The first chapter of the Crimson Fortress was over. It was so easy it was almost anticlimactic. *** Now that we’ve crossed the drawbridge, there are three chapters left. The city battle on the outer walls. The underground prison of the inner walls. The demon worship room of the lord’s castle. “This is, interesting.” Raven, who had entered the castle, looked at the ruins with shining eyes. As if a treasure had unfolded before her eyes. “A blacksmith, a tavern, an inn, a church, a stable used by merchants… Most of these ruins seem to be public facilities.” The dwarf chuckled. “Is that so surprising, Lady Raven?” “Of course. There were no farms or residences on the mountain path we climbed or inside the castle. That means there were no farmers. Aren’t you curious? What did they all eat in this isolated fortress city built in such a remote mountain area?” “There must have been alchemists in this dimension too. They probably turned magic stones into bread like us. Hahahaha.” “…That hypothesis is certainly the most popular among scholars.” “Haha! Is that so? Even learned people seem to think alike!” “But Mr. Murad, that’s not the only interesting thing. The long drawbridge and the high walls, this fortress was built very practically. Who were their enemies?” The dwarf, who had been receptive at first, distanced himself as the conversation grew longer. “I don’t understand why you’re curious about such things. Isn’t it all just a created space anyway?” “A created space, well, it’s true that ordinary people who haven’t properly studied dimensional science might think so—” “Enough, Lady Raven, monsters are coming.” As we were passing through the city towards the inner walls, monsters soon appeared. From Deadmen to Skeleton Archers and Mages, Ghouls, and even the Grade 8 monster Deathfiend. The level of the appearing entities was not much different from the Land of the Dead, but the scale was significantly different. Each group had at least dozens of monsters. “Everyone, gather around me.” Moreover, if you’re fighting one group, another group will approach, drawn by the sound. Less than a minute after encountering the first group, hundreds of monsters surrounded us from all sides. But at that moment. The ‘Blade Storm’ we had seen earlier swept through the area again. *Swoooooosh!* As a magic spell for slaughtering, it didn’t completely wipe them out like before. Some ghouls survived with only one limb cut off, and the Deathfiends, known for their defense and regeneration, were no exception. But… “I’ll leave the remaining monsters to you.” The fact that all the Deadmen and Skeletons, which accounted for more than 90% of the group, were wiped out was enough to do the work of several people. “Aynar!!” When I shouted loudly, Aynar rushed out. The target was the Deathfiend. The hunting method is… There’s no need to explain it in words. A single glance is enough. “Behel—raaaaaaaa!!” After hundreds of breaths together, we’ve reached a point where we almost never make mistakes. It’s called, (True) Double Barbarian Tackle. *Thud!* The dwarf was horrified as he watched us lift our legs, slam the Deathfiend to the ground, and smash its head. “…Did you always hunt like this?” It was like he was thinking, ‘What kind of barbarians are these?’ “Is there a problem?” “No. It’s quite, quite exhilarating, as expected of barbarians! Ha, hahah!” There’s nothing to be ashamed of now, but it’s a little funny. It’s not like the dwarves’ fighting style was particularly elegant. “Laviode Ehelton.” There were seven Deathfiends left, but Raven made it easy to hunt them by casting a ‘Wound Aggravation Curse.’ The Deathfiends, whose passive ‘Body Preservation’ was sealed, weren’t that difficult of a monster. “I see why everyone says mages are amazing…” Perhaps having felt the presence of a mage in just two battles, Aynar muttered in a hollow voice. Raven didn’t respond, but I could see the corners of her mouth twitching. She seems happy to be admired. The dwarf added a word. “Haha! It’s true that having a mage changes the scope of what you can do.” I agreed as well. If a party of five newbies had progressed through the ‘Crimson Fortress,’ they wouldn’t have dared to engage in such a frontal battle. They probably would have spent dozens of times more time, slowly reducing the number of monsters from the outskirts. “Hmm, well… that’s why we study so hard. Of course, talent is also necessary.” Raven slightly twisted her body at the continuous praise. Her character is slowly taking shape. A genius mage who pretends to be humble but likes to show off, and is even more passionate about magic and research. I’m starting to get a feel for how to handle her. “Then, I’m going to look around for research materials for a bit, would you all be able to help me if it’s okay?” “Thanks to Lady Raven, we have time left, so of course we should help. Hahahaha!” “Thank you.” After that, we searched through the ruins of the city, collecting antiques, books, soil, metals, and even the flesh and bones of Deadmen. “Thanks to you all, we finished early. Then let’s move on to the next part!” I was momentarily stunned. What? Wait a minute, it’s over? We beat all the monsters and searched every nook and cranny, but why didn’t she take that? “What are you doing there! Come on!” …Could it be that they all don’t know? The easy-to-find thing that comes out when you break the fountain statue?